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BY JENNIFER MECKLES
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If you knew someone on the transplant list needed a new heart, would you support their fight for life? Most would say yes. But what if that person was a convicted child rapist, serving time in prison -- and relied on your tax dollars for the surgery -- Still on board? Albany’s WXXA has the story behind this very real situation right now in New York:
“We’ve learned that a convicted rapist doing time in state prison down in Green County is being evaluated for a heart transplant -- A heart transplant that you and I would have to pay for. Kenneth Pike was flown from the Coxsackie Correctional Facility to a Rochester hospital where he’s now listed in guarded condition.”
This story got strong reaction from local viewers... the taxpayers who would be expected to foot the estimated $800,000 hospital bill. Rochester, New York’s WHAM reports -- all the attention led to an unexpected decision from the prisoner, himself:
“We have learned that Kenneth Pike may have had a change of heart. His sister, Sharon Cardinal tells 13 WHAM News, Pike doesn’t want the transplant. Cardinal told us quote -- ‘He told his kids he didn’t want it because he’s tired of living his life that way.’ Cardinal says Pike will return to prison in Green County this week, against the wishes of his children.”
Pike’s story sparked discussion about the rights of the convicted nationwide. Fox News asks -- should prisoners be entitled to organ transplants?
ANCHOR: “Isn’t this guy actually gaining a right he probably never had before, and thereby profiting from his heinous crime?”
CHIP MERLIN: “There is no right for a law abiding citizen to have this type of treatment afforded to them. And there has been some concerns expressed regarding these donor cards that a lot of us have and we sign up for all the time -- that if we start allow convicted felons to get organs, a lot of people are going to stop signing up for this program.”
A writer for Business First of Buffalo says he does NOT like the idea of funding life extensions for criminals, but after further consideration -- he raises these questions:
“Who are we to play God? If we begin to deny medical treatment to prisoners for ‘major surgeries’ where does it stop? Soon some politician realizes we can slash the budget by cutting non-essential doctor’s visits, then we eliminate dental care. Before you know it, the prison system backslides closer to something we are used to reading about in a war-torn third-world dictatorships half a world away.”
The story lit a fire under the state senator Michael Nozzolio, who represents that New York region. He is now calling for a special hearing to investigate organ transplants for prison inmates. The Auburn Citizen reports why:
"A key concern mentioned in a press release issued by Nozzolio's office Monday is that inmates could potentially jump ahead of law-abiding citizens on the organ donor lists."
The New York Post reports Pike is eligible for parole in 2013 - if he lives until then. Family members told the Associated Press Pike has already undergone triple bypass surgery, will likely die without the transplant.
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According to reports obtained under Georgia's Open Records Act, officer Jeff Foxx, who is black, made these comments while on patrol on University Avenue. Foxx was having a personal cellphone conversation as he initiated a traffic stop during the lunch hour on March 5, 2007. His remarks were recorded by the dashboard camera. The recording system was activated by the blue light and picked up everything said in Foxx's vehicle starting 60 seconds prior to turning on the light, police officials confirmed. Foxx was given a one-day suspension!!!! A review of Foxx's personnel file shows multiple suspensions for multiple reasons dating back to 2002.
The offenses include:
• He was suspended one day in March 2002 for backing his city car into a pole at Fort Middle School.
• He was suspended two days in March 2002 for taking his city vehicle to an adult cinema on Victory Drive while he was off duty.
• In September 2002, he was suspended for one day for failure to attend a Recorder's Court hearing.
• In January 2003, he received a written reprimand for violating the sick-leave policy. He took time off for his father's triple-bypass surgery but was found working part-time at a Columbus restaurant.
• In February 2003, he was suspended one day for failure to follow policy in the search of a person he arrested. The prisoner was taken into the jail with a pocketknife in the shirt.
• In May 2007, Foxx was suspended one day for failure to report to work.
• In September 2009, he was suspended, then terminated for being untruthful in the investigation of an officer who reportedly choked a suspect in a controlled entryway of the Muscogee County jail. Foxx appealed the decision to the Personnel Review Board, which gave him his job back.
• In March 2012, he was suspended one day for dereliction of duty. He responded to a domestic call and failed to fill out a report or make an arrest.
He was finally fired 6 years AFTER this racial profiling incident. He was fired because he told the Marshall (who is black) that the Police Chief (who is white) made racial slurs when speaking of the Marshall. It was a lie, and he resigned following an investigation. He should have been fired following the racist views he held when this video was seen the first time in 2007.